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Monday, April 30, 2012

An idea born when Ms. M was a wee tike and finally finished some two years later in time for baby O to get some fun out of it. Made with scraps and a piece of curtain material scored for two dollars a meter it certainly has been an affordable project.

O. seems to think it is a good idea. The weather proof curtain material perfect for keeping him dry while playing on dewy grass.

His older brother E. seems to think it is ok too… although he did point out that I forgot to sew a bridge over the creek. An opportunity for him to build one I retorted, cursing on the inside acknowledging that indeed I had forgotten!

So precious to watch these two play together. So glad to finally get this project out of my WIP box.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Last night I attended the opening of Ruth de Vos’s exhibition “to be a child”. It was such a thrill. I spent the entire day looking forward to it. I first became aware of Ruth’s work at Stitched and Bound so I knew I was in for a marvellous treat… and I wasn’t wrong. If anything the pieces were better than I could have imagine.

Each quilt is a marvel. Ruth’s work has so much detail, depth, colour and texture. Hand died fabrics, hand embroidery, thread sketching, screen printing, machine piecing, digitally printed fabrics – so many components to her work. The imagery itself – wonderful perspective and point of view, longing and curious gazes of inquisitive children, chubby hands and bobbling heads, all captured with fabric and thread.

And the words. The insights. The record. A treasure trove in themselves. Ruth has captured childhood in all its glory, all its wonder.

If you’re in Perth you really must make every effort to attend. The exhibition is from 26 April – 5 May @ Central’s Showcase Gallery, 12 Aberdeen St, Northbridge. The Gallery Hours are Wed – Sat: 11am to 4:45pm.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

I made a bag. Nothing fancy mind you, but a useful bag nonetheless. I used the slouch bag pattern found in Linen, Wool, Cotton by Akiko Mano. It was the first item I’ve made using this book and it was relatively straight forward. Instead of using linen I opted for 100% cotton chambray otherwise I made the bag following the instructions closely – even down to the suggestion of using green thread. I think if I’d made my own choice I would probably have just gone with red. I love red thread. It’s my favourite. Saying that though that I am loving the green thread with this blue chambray. A good lesson in trying things other people’s way – you just never know. It is a huge bag. Brilliant for stuffing full with loads and loads of items. Such a bag is always going to come in handy with three children. It’s only short fall is perhaps more mine… that my arm is just a little to short to reach the bottom of the bag whilst it is still slung on my shoulder. This is a painful hassle when I am rummaging for a dummy, or the snacks, or the sunscreen or what ever item happens to have sunk to this bag’s magnificent depths and of course is urgently being demanded my one of my offspring.

No matter. It is currently being used to house a special project I’ve planned for baby O. I’ve drawn it up, and thought it out. Now to just bite the bullet and give it a shot. Emotionally the project, my first go at a quilt, is a bit hard to progress. The dream of it in my mind is so wonderful that I’m hesitant to bring it to life. I know I’ve just got to break through this and get it made. After all something is better than nothing. Watch this space, and with a bit of backbone there’ll be something for my dear baby boy in time for winter.

Speaking of baby O I had “his” song printed and finally got around to putting it in a frame. Each of the children has a song, but perhaps I’ll write more about that another day. The background is too white, but with luck it will yellow with age. With all that I have on the go at the moment I’m just happy for it to be framed, and down the track I might fine-tune colours, fonts and backgrounds. Again, something is better than nothing.

Poor O. He hasn’t been feeling too good at all today. I was knocked out for two days at the end of the week with some kind of mystery illness and had feverish fits similar (but not the same) to those I experienced with malaria. What is bothering O doesn’t seem to be the same bug, but I’m keeping a close eye on him. I suspect there are some teeth making their way down too. Singing “his” song calms him down, always.

He sleeps beside me now on my bed. His breath harsh and his sleep restless. It is time for more cuddles.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The easier pace of school holidays has resulted in a lot of action in the kitchen. We’ve been cooking up a storm. More friands, baked custards, muffins, pasta and soups. Lots and lots of yummy things.

It is a rainy day here in Perth today, good soup weather. So tonight for dinner we had vegetable soup. The children love it. My version is so simple and easy to make. A turnip, parsnip, suede, potatoes, carrots and celery. Fry up some onions, throw in the rest of the vegetables. Cook in some veggie stock, through in some soy sauce, and there you have it. Vegetable soup. Pretty much the way my grandfather taught me, although he used a beef stock and was partial to pouring in a bit of his KB beer too. Now and then he’d throw in a handful of barley. If there had been barley in the pantry today I probably would have thrown some in too. I served it up to the children tonight with some wholemeal toast and a boiled egg on the side. Easy peasy + empty plates/bowls = winner.

Yesterday night was a winner too. We had red pepper sauce with homemade spaghetti. Delicious. I do love red peppers or capsicum or what ever you like to call them so much. Yummo. It can be a bit of a hassle to char and peel them… but it is always worth it in the end. So sweet.

I saw orange bell peppers at the market yesterday. I usually just walk on by and don’t pay them a second thought, intent on just finding the items on my list. E. pointed them out to me. I held one, examined it and was almost about to throw one or two in the basket when I noticed the price and decided that I should perhaps find myself a recipe first. They were a bit pricey and this fortnight has seen economic blow-outs in every budgetary direction.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Whilst the rippling was completed a couple of months back and then the most part of the single crochet border was completed not long after that I’ve been diddle daddling about whether or not to finish of with a picot stitch. In the end I decided to go for it. And now baby O’s ripple blanket is finished.

I’m so pleased with how it has worked out. Made of cotton it is so soft to touch. Delicious. Baby O seems rather pleased with it too.

The picot stitch was the right decision me thinks – it gives the blanket a nice “finished” look.

Postscript: I just phoned my Dad to check on how is going. He had a full body scan a week or so back and hasn’t heard anything back so on the premise that no news is good news we’re thinking the treatment is working. He is upbeat and positive as always.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

It’s been pretty busy around these parts this week. Birthday celebrations coupled with every member of the family being afflicted with an illness of one sort of another has meant not a lot of available time for creative pursuits. There hasn’t been a lot of sleep for me – on Tuesday/Wednesday night I didn’t get to sleep until 8am in the morning, and then it was only for an hour! Apologises to any pinterest followers who would have been inundated with pins from me as I cuddled my children who were playing tag that night.

Nonetheless Ms. M and I did find some precious girl time to sew together a very quick skirt in one of her favourite colours. She has recently shot up and so there isn’t a lot fitting in her wardrobe at the moment. She chose the fabric, helped cut it and then sat on my lap as we put it through the machine. It reminded me of days past, I do so hope we will do much more sewing together into the future.

I am so hoping, or perhaps dreaming, that there will be time for sewing and crochet over the long weekend. Do you have creative dreams for the weekend too?

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

I was feeling rather left out. Sitting on the technological fringes I watched as so many of you signed up to instagram and sang its praises. Between you and me I felt like the kid at school that nobody wanted to have lunch with. And now it is finally available to those of us that aren’t so geek chic to possess an i-something.

I’m all signed up. You’ll find me there as virtuallysally. Please let me in from the cold and follow me there.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Thanks to all for your lovely birthday wishes. I had a wonderfully sweet day with my nearest and dearest.

We’d originally planned a family picnic day outside the metro area but plans were scratched on waking to a grey and drizzly morning. Not to worry. The sun did shine right about lunch time so we packed the food and high tailed it to a local beach.

We had great food…

and of course one of us just couldn’t help himself.

My favourite gifts were the homemade ones…

…a badge from each of my bigger babes.

E. explained that his badge is a picture of the sky. I love them both more than words can describe and wore them proudly all day.

E. chose to colour in this picture as a hug to me. When I made his crochet blanket I told him there was a hug in every stitch, whenever he was wrapped in the blanket he was being hugged by me. Same goes for this picture – when ever I see it I’m getting a hug from E. On hearing this my heart swelled so big I thought it was going to burst through my chest.

There were handmade cards, flowers and foliaged picked from the garden and socks wrapped in half metres of fabric the children had chosen themselves.

And of course a birthday cake…

…a baked strawberry cheesecake.

I wrote earlier today that I am privileged and this special day highlighted to me just how much.

There is no greater privilege than being loved by my mob. How sweet it is.